The present invention relates, in general, to an electromotive linear drive.
A linear drive of a type involved here is especially intended for operating adjustable components of furniture items, such as a slatted frame, and includes a drive motor, a reduction gear unit and a rotatably driven spindle which supports a spindle nut secured against carrying out a rotation movement and interacting with levers which are mounted in fixed rotative engagement on a shaft of the furniture item. A typical construction of a linear drive includes the arrangement of two d.c. motors which can be separately activated by a handset via a control unit.
Linear drives of this type are not only used in the residential field but increasingly also in hospitals and nursing homes. In these latter areas, the furniture item, e.g., a hospital bed or a nursing bed has to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected periodically or after a change of patients. Typically, the cleaning process is carried out in a washing plant. It must then be ensured that cleaning liquid is prevented from penetrating into the interior of the casing of the linear drive. In general, the casing is made of two casing parts. Depending on the type of construction, the casing may be box-shaped and closed on the top by a cover, or comprised of two shells, whereby abutting surfaces are disposed in perpendicular relationship, when assembled.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved electromotive linear drive which obviates prior art shortcomings and which is simple in structure, while reliably preventing ingress of liquid during washing or cleaning operation and allowing connection of additional drives or appliances.